One year ago I was on my way to the D6 Conference in Texas, along with our new lead pastor and another pastor friend we picked up along the way. I was attending the conference both as a “Pastor of Family Life”, but also as an intensive study course personally administered by the president of Wesley Seminary toward completion of my MDiv. It was a great week of learning, dreaming and praying over what God had in store for a church family I loved with a new pastor I was blessed to also call a friend. I ended up being able to share a spoken word I’d written as part of my coursework with the entire D6 Conference! As we went home from that week – we had no idea what would happen in the year ahead. We certainly didn’t imagine the year we’ve had. 🙂

This year we’re traveling to the D6 Conference in North Carolina, along with our spouses. The four of us look forward to some great time praying and casting vision over what God has in store for this church family that we love – and we’re blessed to all do so as friends. But my wife and I are also attending as a couple on the edge of launching into full-time missionary work in Gyor, Hungary! We’re scanning the topics, and trying to figure out what seminars/speakers might equip us for the work on the horizon as well as the work we’re aiming to finish well.

This past year I’ve finished my MDiv, something I never thought was part of my life plan. It seems when you hand God your life and ask Him one step at a time “What would please you here?” – He actually seems to suggest things you may not have imagined. Not in an anxious “Oh my goodness, I’d better not miss out on any tiny decision that God may have an opinion on….” But more in a mode of living toward receiving and responding to the flowing Love of God out into and for the sake of His Kingdom announced and arriving in the world through changed lives, people set free and restored relationship.

All this to say, the past year has brought some changes for sure. The year ahead seems to be filled with quite a bit as well. We’re going to be selling our home soon, and moving into a short-term rental. Then we’ll move to Hungary, and learn a new language both literally and figuratively as we learn to join the living Word in a new context. Thankfully, we’ve been shaped for years already by the Word who became flesh. So #D62018, 2019, and beyond…here we come…

Moana was a fantastic movie for so many reasons. The chicken made us laugh. The grandma was one we all wish we had. The usual motif about “someone realizing there was something mystically special about themselves all along” – is something many of us hope to discover.

There are roots in there story with amazing truths, if we will notice.

There is a girl who is taught her entire life, that her value comes from her ability to maintain what has always happened. She is expected to make wise decisions, to rule well, and to navigate the difficulties of island life. That someday she will place her stone on the highest mountain, atop the stones of previous leaders, making her contribution the highest point on their island. But within her stirs a discontent. A “holy” stirring that not only she, but her people, were created to do more than what they’d done yesterday. That perhaps even, looking far back in their history, they might find stories of a completely different existence altogether. They were not a people meant to thrive on how well they could perpetuate status quo. They were wired to thrive on creative discovery, and to craft stories of stepping out into the unknowns, in faith that something greater than themselves held their fate and future. That actually, their fate depended on complete change in what was being done. They were facing struggles no resources could be found to solve. The status quo way of maintaining routine was slowly losing its ability to provide life.

So she set out to discover what else could be done. Sacrificially, she launched a new initiative toward becoming vulnerable – not just for her own sake but for a people who were temporarily without any idea of what might happen next. Collectively, they looked toward tomorrow with hesitancy, but hopeful faith for what could be.

It turned out to be exactly what was needed. As she returned to share this new way of life she’d discovered, it was immediately embraced by the people as being their actual story. No longer were they island people, who valued being able to efficiently stay as they were. Connecting to their ancient roots, they were a people “on the move”. Entrusting themselves to something larger, they collectively were reidentified as New Creations. There is a brief scene where we simply see a shell placed on a stack of rocks. No longer would success be measured by the highest point on an island that was ultimately no source of life.

From now on – they’d become a people who’s measurement for Life had been altogether transformed.

The wisdom here offers us a moment to contemplate as leaders and servants in the Kindgom of God. Are we willing to let go of our chance to place a stone, if it enables others to actually be transformed toward a New Life altogether? Can we trust God to guide us as we launch out together toward a New Land?

There is, after all, a world out there already placing stones upon stones – waiting for followers of Jesus to show them a better way…

This past week, ride-sharing app “Uber” opened up in our city, only to be followed the next day by “Lyft” as well. Decatur, IL was finally getting “on the map” in a way that seemed to echo finally being included in “Craigslist” a few years before. Certainly we’re no Chicago, but we are a greater-area population of about 85,000 – and potential for growth as we were also recently identified as #3 most affordable housing market in the WORLD.

I’m a confessed extrovert, and love meeting new people. So it wasn’t surprising to my wife when I joked about signing up as an Uber driver, not as a money-making venture, but for fun. Even after quickly moving through the process, snapping pictures of my documents like insurance and registration, and getting notified I was approved – I didn’t think I’d find myself driving anytime soon. Although as a pastor there was another layer of appeal.

Fridays are my “day off”, and the rest of my family was occupied at our homeschool co-op. My wife told me to take the morning to enjoy. As I sat at Panera, reading the latest edition of Harpers, I flicked the “Online” toggle on my Uber-Driver App, and officially became available. I figured, it would be fun to give a ride or two, in the midst of my morning coffee. Ten minutes later, it was obvious Decatur didn’t need many Uber drivers around 9am on a Friday. Almost an hour in, I realized it wouldn’t be so bad to just spend the morning reading with coffee.

Then it happened. I don’t even remember much about what the alert looked like. All I could think of was “There might be several Uber drivers getting this same notification, I’d better accept it quickly!” Boom. I accepted. Then I looked at the address. It wasn’t far, so I loaded up, made sure the radio wasn’t blaring princess music, and began to follow the built-in navigation system within the Uber app.

As I eased my family mini-van into the driveway of a nice quiet neighborhood, a smiling middle-aged man and his wife emerged with two suit-cases. I quickly asked his name to confirm, though it seemed pretty obvious he was definitely my fare. I helped load his luggage into my trunk, and opened the door for both he and his wife. As I started the van, I slid the “Start” button on the Uber app, and asked him where they were headed this morning. He smiled and said the airport, which I’d kinda anticipated from the luggage. There was only one issue:

The airport he was talking about was 1.5 hours away in Peoria, IL.

For a brief second, I thought he was joking. I think he caught my surprise, because he clarified, “You saw that when you agreed, right?” I looked at my clock, and saw I had just enough time to get there and back before the family came home for lunch. Why not? I was honest, however. Laughing, I confessed I’d not seen it, but it was no problem – let’s go!

He and his wife were very kind, and were in good spirits as they were heading out of town on vacation. Their flights had been changed last minute, and they decided to try Uber since it had proved useful in previous times of transportation need when they’d visited larger cities. They even tipped well, although Uber does not require this habit.

Altogether, I enjoyed my coffee and met some new people whom I was able to offer God’s blessings to for their journey ahead, as I dropped them off for their flights. They’d paid Uber about $75, and I received about $55 of that (plus their gracious tip!). Probably the most I’ll ever cash in with Uber, since I was just doing it for fun. I was thankful that their few hours of need happened during my few hours of availability.

I also learned an important lesson: Before you agree to help someone get somewhere, make sure you know where they want to go. (That’s probably a deep profound truth, eh?) Next time I’ll make sure I check the request fully, before accepting. I suppose I could be glad they weren’t heading to an airport in Chicago, or Canada…? lol